


Sleeping Beauty

by Soll



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternative Universe - Canon Divergence, First Kiss, M/M, Season 3 doesn't exists- it can't hurt you, Seelie curses, but no parabatai curse, the whole gang is here to see Jace joke his way through eternal slumber, with breif but colorful appearances by Izzy Clary Simon and Magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28391151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soll/pseuds/Soll
Summary: "Just kiss him!" Simon said in his best high pitch. "The tension is killing me and we might be making a big deal out of nothing. Just kiss him and get it over with."In which Jace cuts off some flowers in Seelie territory even if he should know better, Alec worries, and Jace just won't stay awake.(set in an undefined close future after the season 2 finale- valentine's dead, jace's not possesed, malec and clace are broken up, and they're all having a very dandy time. once again, mostly silly but emotional honesty TM is always lurking)
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland
Comments: 7
Kudos: 43





	Sleeping Beauty

Rolling on the floor of a Brooklyn flat, choked by vines- just the way Jace liked to spend his Mondays.

"Jace!" Clary shouted. She broke in a choked cry right after- it sounded like an _ouch_.

"I appreciate the concern," he said activating the fire rune on his arm while trying to prevent the vines from curling around his neck, "but try to stay focused."

"Oh, yeah, because it will totally make a difference. This is not the Devil's Snare, Jace! Or is it?" Simon rambled somewhere on Jace's left. "Why is it always the three of us taking care of Seelies, mh? I think we amply showed we're not the best team to deal with them."

"Izzy is in Lisbone," Clary panted, "and this was supposed to be an in and out operation!"

Jace would have loved to point out it was their fault if it hadn't been, since they apparently hadn't learn they had to look where they put their feet when traveling in Seelie territory- even if it was a dormroom that smelled like cheap beer. But he really couldn't speak, not with the vine pressing on his throat.

"What the-" a silky voice exclaimed out of the blue. "Oh my God, you're Shadowhunters! You should know better than to fell into a vines trap!"

Jace spluttered indignantly.

"At least you're not dead."

The only reason they weren't (yet) was thanks to Jace being a circus freak with enough speed to match his reflexes, but no one ever thanked him for saving their asses. He tried to say it but he coughed instead, head swimming in a fog.

"Jace!" they both cried out.

"If you wish- I could help him."

"No!" he managed to choke out, but his effort were covered by well meaning, but idiotic, agreements.

He was giving them both Seelie homework as soon they were back in the Institute.

He coughed his lungs out trying to take a breath when the vines retreated. He scowled at it- defeated by a plant. Pitiful. He forced a few good breaths, but somehow he still felt like floating.

"What do you want? For the help?" he hissed, gripping Clary's upper arm when she launched herself to support him.

"Oh." Clary said, cheeks warming up.

He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Your guarantee that the Clave will not hunt me out for something that you did yourself." The Seelie said, a beauty with warm auburn hair in a tank top and cardigan. Her eyes were off somewhere next to Jace.

They turned to the direction of her gaze, where a handful of branches in bloom were quickly withering away. Jace must have cut them off their bush while trying to deal with the vines.

"Damn it," he cursed, "what do they do?"

"They make you sleep."

"How long?" Clary asked, and Jace held her tighter to stay upright.

"It depends," the Seelie sounded hesitant. "Not many are fortunate enough to have what it takes to end the slumber."

"What is it?" Clary shouted, and it was Simon's hand that kept Jace's head from falling back.

"A soulmate. He'll need a kiss from his soulmate to wake up."

Jace smiled through the haze. Easy enough.

  
  


.

  
  


Clary scrunched her nose. Suddenly she felt very overdramatic.

"Oh."

Simon huffed and let Jace fall on the ridged parquet.

"All this worry for nothing. Leave it to him, to get an easy deal. Are we sure it isn't his blood that makes him, like, insanely lucky? It can't be a coincidence, how many times he got out of certain death. Sure, he gets into it in the first place, but still. It's impressive."

Clary agreed, but she would have banked it more of hitting the jackpot one time and winning a lifetime supply of Alec.

"You don't seem that worried." The Seelie said. She had something off about her. She seemed approachable. Like her home- murderous vines aside. "Mind you, it's isn't just regular love that will wake him up. Soulmates are so rare to come around, some would say they're a children tale."

"You haven't met this one." Simon gestures to Jace, seemingly sleeping without a worry in the world. "Found himself one when he was ten years old and tatted him up by fifteen. Again, insanely lucky."

"He has a parabatai." Clary explained the Seelie. Her eyes went wide, and then her mouth opened in a circle.

Clary balanced herself.

"What?" she asked.

She saw Simon picking Jace up again and held him against his chest.

"That- might not work."

Clary picked up her seraph blade.

"Put it down, I’m not resisting, the Clave-"

"You cursed Jace!"

"He cursed himself! Doesn't he know he should be careful around plants when he's dealing with Seelies?"

"Hey! He knows!" Simon said very defensively. "He saved me from a kill-tree once. He knows his stuff."

"Well, then he shouldn't have cut my flowers. They glow, for God’s sake! Kind of a tell-tale sign something’s wrong with them!"

"He was trying to cut off the vines! He was choking!" Clary said. Than squinted. Then smirked.

"Come with us." she ordered.

"What? Are you arresting me? The Accords-"

"I'm asking you to come so that we won't have to arrest you. We have been sent here to investigate a smuggling ring. Something tells me that your glowing cursed flowers will be enough to get you a trip behind the bars."

The Seelie shuffled on her feet in a very mundane way.

"Fine." she said, and Simon gave her a very discreet thumb up. "I'll come."

  
  


.

  
  


The only world Alec said when he saw them passing by the Institute hallway was a deeply concerned _Jace!_ that made Clary suddenly very aware that things could, theoretically, go wrong. It didn't matter what Anna, one quarter Seelie and day time biology major, muttered about non-fabricated soulmates and the importance of ancient language interpretation: if soulmates were a thing, Jace and Alec were it. Clary was sure of it. She had to be.

She felt even surer when Alec took Jace in his own arms. He looked safe there.

"Is he okay?" Alec asked looking at them like their collective survival depended on the answer.

"Is it him?" Anna asked.

"Yes."

"Yes what?" Alec's voice was a note away from resonating in her sternum.

"Both. Hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Alec almost growled.

"He cut a flower he shouldn't have. He was trying to get away from her wards."

"Curse me for having a security system in my own house."

"Just kiss him!" Simon said in his best high pitch. "The tension is killing me and we might be making a big deal out of nothing. Just kiss him and get it over with."

Alec stayed very, very quiet.

"You." He said, slowly looking at Anna. "Explain. And then we will talk about your security system."

"Please, Alec, just do it. He needs to be kissed by his soulmate to wake up!" Simon insisted.

Alec's eyelashes fluttered.

"Oh."

He looked down at Jace with a frown, like he was blaming him for making a scene out of nothing.

"It's not that clear cut." Anna rushed to say. "You know Seelies. It's never a straight answer."

"Well then, we're in luck. Nothing straight about this answer." Simon joked, because he was Simon and he couldn't help it. Clary coughed to cover a chuckle when Alec looked from Simon to her.

"Listen, Alec, it's worth a try if nothing else."

"Is there any consequence for him if it doesn't work?" Alec asked.

"There shouldn't be."

"Good, then."

Alec kissed Jace like he was on orders. Quick and efficient.

Jace raised a hand to the back of Alec's neck almost right away.

"Hi," he said with far enough humor for someone who had almost choked to death and then risked eternal slumber. "I'd like to say it's about time I stop being the damsel in distress, but I rather enjoy it." He drawled.

Clary looked at Simon. Simon looked at her.

"You can put me down." Jace said, slurring his words, his voice drowsy.

"Hold on to me, okay?" Alec asked, in an intimate murmur Clary has no business in having heard so many times.

"Damn," Anna chewed on her nails. "I really thought it worked like a charm for a moment."

"What are you talking about?" Jace asked without a worry in the world, the arm around Alec's midriff lax and affectionate. "I'm just a bit sleepy. Shoot me up with some caffeine and a couple of runes and I'll be ready to go."

Then Simon launched himself on Jace. "Don't let me and Clary near a fairy ever again, we always tell you we'll listen to you and then we never do and you looked so dead-"

"Simon," Alec said as amused as he ever got, as Jace patted his back, "Leave him some room."

"Sure, absolutely."

They shared a weird handshake-fist bump and, as it happened a lot lately, Clary longed for the days they used to maul at each other's flesh.

Clary also noticed Alec did not leave Jace any room himself, holding him tighter against his side, his thumb moving up and down Jace's shoulder.

"Any side effect I should be weary of?" Jace said, and then he yawned.

"Not really." Anna said, "You fall asleep, you wake up, that’s it. If the kiss works."

Jace yawned again. Alec hold him tighter.

"Oh, come on, people, what do you expect me to do? Drop down any minute now?"

They all waited a moment. Jace rolled his eyes and steered Alec in the direction of the kitchen.

"Stop being ridiculous and get a man his coffee."

  
  


.

  
  


Alex ordered for Anna's stash of Lover Sleep to be confiscated. Jace wholeheartedly supported the decision. It'd been hours and he was still feeling sleepy. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, and as soon as he did Alec's hand took its place.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked, pressing his thumbs at the base of Jace's neck.

"Now I do."

"Jace."

"I'm fine, Alec. I'm sure I'll be as fresh as a rose when I wake up."

When he turned, Alec was stubbornly looking at his nape. He hadn't looked at him since he woke him up.

"Thanks, by the way. For saving me again."

"You know I'll always do."

Jace smiled, Alec's warmth lulling him further like a blanket.

"I should have been there."

"You have a desk job, Alec. And you can't keep me sitting around when you can't come on the field with me. If anything, I’m sorry that I thought it was a good idea to bring Clary and Simon to the Seelies again. Even if she was living in a dormroom in Brooklyn."

Alec's quiet laugh warmed up Jace's neck.

He heard only his name as he fell down.

  
  


He woke up to the ghost of warm lips. He followed it out of instinct, but Alec’s mouth was already busy muttering curses as he helped Jace on his feet.

"Is there any chance you'll calm down if I ask nicely?"

"Calm down?" Alec asked him, and Jace rubbed his eyes and yawned some more, "You keep falling asleep and I should-"

"It happened twice!"

"Two times too many!"

Jace couldn't really argue with that. Or the intensity in Alec's eyes.

"At least you're looking at me again." he said.

Alec frowned and looked away immediately.

"It's not like we don't know how to pull me back, Alec."

"You're barely awake, Jace. This is not a solution."

"But my life isn't on the line either. So stop worrying, put me to bed, and if tomorrow I'm not down for breakfast, come and get me. Then we'll think about it. You've heard Anna, this thing can't kill me."

"But it can put you to sleep. And what if- what if this stops working?"

"Why the hell would it?" Jace asked, reaching out his arm to trace Alec's rune with his fingers through his shirt. Alec's breath hitched. "We're parabatai. We’re soulmates. It's always going to work."

"What if you build up a tolerance?"

"That's not how it works."

"How would you know?"

"Because, I feel just as awake as the first time you kissed me."

Alec looked away again.

"You're not gonna let me down, Alec."

"Yeah, well, this clearly isn't working as it should, so it's a little too late for that."

"It worked just fine. Stop being so dramatic and go to sleep."

"I'm just worried, Jace."

"I know. And I didn't tell you to stop worrying. Just to do it a little less intensely. I'm gonna be fine, as long as I have you. Same as ever."

Alec didn't look convinced in the slightest, but he just took his hand and squeezed it.

Jace smiled to him as warmly as he could, and he waited until Alec was out of his room to drop on the bed and fell asleep without even changing out of his clothes.

  
  


He woke up on his own. It was a bit disappointing, somehow. He cursed himself for not changing out of gear, and got into a clean shirt and sweatpants. He yawned his way through it, like he didn’t just had- he glanced at the clock- six hours of solid sleep. He didn't feel any more awake than he had been yesterday. He activated some awareness runes just not to make himself completely useless and made his way to the kitchen. Clary almost dropped her mug, already geared up for another day of demon hunting.

"You're awake!"

"Still sleepy."

"But you didn't need Alec."

"No."

"That must be a good thing, right?"

Jace wasn't really sure. He had the pressing sensation that he was on a timetable and the time he spent sleeping naturally just put it on hold.

"We'll see. For now you'll have to demon hunt without me."

"I'll go with Mark for today, and Izzy is gonna be back tonight. As soon as she heard about you, she said that the Lisbone vamps can- well, it was Spanish, but I'm pretty sure she said they can go fuck themselves. I don't think she likes them very much." Clary concluded biting another cookie.

She kissed him on the cheek before bolting out of the kitchen.

"Hey," Alec said walking in. "You're up early."

"Enjoy it while it lasts." he said without weight, not really thinking about it. "Sorry?" he added when Alec winced.

"No, it's all right. Are you up for a quick disinfestation later?"

"You want me walking around like this? I am a bit light headed, I'll warn you. I almost bit my mug thinking it was a toast before. Which you’re taking to your grave."

Alec's small smile was more than a reward enough for divulging his shame. A pity it lasted for such a short time.

"Yeah, I- I couldn't sleep, ironically, so I called Magnus to ask him if he knew anything that could help. I _know._ You don't need to hiss at me. And look, we might not be as comfortable as you and Clary, but we are on speaking terms. And I needed to know you'd be okay by a reputable source and not a mostly mundane college student. I wanted the best."

"Well, I'm touched. What did he say?"

Alex hesitated.

"He says he'll have to read up about it, and that in the meantime it could help to get you going. See if the adrenaline wakes you up."

"And?"

He shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Alec."

"Well, he- the first thing he told me was to remember that Seelie magic is always true. So, if the spell requires a kiss from a soulmate, odds are that's exactly what you need, nothing more, nothing less, nothing-"

"Else. Meaning if this doesn't work, nothing else will."

Alex nodded. He was the color of chalk.

"Anna-" he said, arms tight across his chest. "She said that parabatais are Shadowhunters magic. That the spell might not recognize the bond as true, because it's something that we made happen. So what if the best I can do is fool the magic with what part of you lives in me?"

"Alec. Has it crossed your mind that this is not your fault, and ultimately not your responsibility?" he asked, walking up to him.

Alec looked hurt for a second.

"It's my fault I became Sleeping Beauty. The fact that I'm here talking to you, albeit a bit hazed, is already a miracle. That you made happen. Stop thinking you're not enough."

"But I'm not."

"Alec."

"No, you listen to me, Jace. If the magic is always true and you’re not awake by now, maybe I’m not the answer."

"Yes, you are." he said way too forcefully for a nice afternoon.

Alec just stared at him, his face as worried as Jace had unfortunately came to be familiar with.

"Alec, if I have a perfect half in this realm, or any other- someone I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with till death parts us- it can’t be but you. And if Seelie magic doesn’t like it, screw it."

Alec actually smiled.

He got closer, and Jace took in his scent when Alec reached behind him and stole Jace’s abandoned mug.

"If you're done with romantic declarations, go get dress. We've got demons to hunt."

  
  


.

  
  


Jace had woke up way too many times with his father's henchman ready to have their way with him, barely having time to wake up before he had to strike. This was a novel sensation, however- sleepiness had never lasted further than the first hit.

"On your six!" Alec actually had to spell out for him, and Jace took a bit too long to throw his knife. It was a good thing than Jace being slow meant he was still faster than an average elite soldier.

He activated strength, acceleration and precision and stabbed three demons in rapid succession. The fourth died with an arrow through his open fangs.

"Showoff." Alec murmured when they got back in position, back to back.

"If you’re jealous, you just need to ask." he smiled, reaching out for Alec’s side to activate his swift rune.

Jace loved activating Alec’s rune with his hands, if only for the smile that always came to Alec's face when he got a fix of angelic parabatai energy. He nearly missed his smile, having to look away when a demon tried to bite off his leg.

They killed a dozen more before Jace started feeling too dizzy to keep his eyes open. He tried to reactivate his awaken run out of obligation, but when it didn't work he just grabbed Alec by his upper arm.

"Hey, lover boy," he teased him, no more than a slur, "care to kiss me?"

Alec laugh seemed a little indignant, a little exasperated, but soon enough he had Jace’s neck in a firm, gentle hold and his lips on his.

It was the first time Jace was awake enough to give him something back.

As soon as he tilted his head, Alec pulled away, stole his seraph blade, and stabbed a demon through the chest.

Jace kicked one down, took one of his knifes out of Alec’s thigh holster, and stabbed four more.

"Woah, they’re like, a swarm! Clary wasn’t kidding about the disinfestation. If I didn't know better I'd say this is the first step of an alien invasion." Simon’s unexpected voice came from the warehouse door. A second later he was next to them taking demons apart with his fangs.

"What are you doing here?" Alec asked as Jace winked at Simon when he pointed at him.

"Keeping an eye on him, supposedly. I’m going to dinner with mom and I was passing right by. Clary asked me to check on you. So technically, it's her fault if I saw you making out."

"Tell Clary that the day the Head of Institute will need help with a drevak disinfestation, is the day you should fire him." Alec said giving Jace back his blade and drawing his bow. His cheeks got a bit redder.

"As for me, I’m Shadowhunter royalty. So: what he said, but stage a coupe."

Him and Alec stabbed a particularly large and ugly one together. They grinned at each other over the ashes.

"And, Simon? If you call that making out, I'm really sorry for Clary."

Alec properly blushed, Simon squealed in outrage, and between the adrenaline of the fight and the fun he was having, Jace thought maybe this kiss will stick.

  
  


It didn't.

But he did make it ‘till bedtime and dozed off maybe twice while they talked over dinner, so, really, he called it a success.

  
  


.

  
  


He woke up to Izzy’s voice and with his hand in Alec’s. He licked his lips.

"You certainly have a way to make a sister feel welcomed." she smiled, brushing his hair away. "Falling asleep as soon as I got home. A really dramatic way to make me feel boring. Are you okay?"

"Stellar. Just constantly stuck in an hangover, but without pain."

"That doesn’t sound too bad."

"Finally, someone sane. I missed you, Izzy."

"I missed you too."

She laughed, and Jace would have hugged her with two arms if Alec hadn’t been holding his hand like his life depended on it.

"We have to do something about it!" he shouted, two times in a row. "There must be something we can do!"

"Well, unless you put another curse on him, Alexander, there is not."

"Oh, hi, Magnus!" Jace waved at him over Izzy’s shoulder. "Heard you’ve been looking up ways to save my ass again."

"I will send you a bill, Angel boy."

"Hey, why to me? It’s him who called."

"And you who is in need of my services. Tampering with flora in a Seelie household, you should know better."

Jace was so offended he failed the comeback delivery. Alec squeezed his hand.

"What’s this curse you were talking about?"

"Big brother-"

"I'm sad, but not surprised, to discover your sense of humor vanished since you don’t entertain my company anymore."

"I’m serious, Magnus. If there’s some way to curse him awake that could-"

"Now, now, slow down." Jace said, patting Alec’s shoulder with his free hand. He turned to face him, and Jace couldn't keep himself from holding his neck. "I appreciate how dedicated you are to my well-being, but-"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it."

Jace shot Magnus a look, but Izzy smiled behind her hand in agreement.

"But," Jace picked up, "Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay? Maybe it needs to wear off a bit."

"That, it does not." Magnus said. "You’re either asleep, or awake."

"And yet, right now I’m neither." Jace insisted, "and what are you doing here if you can’t help me? You better not put the time you’re wasting on my bill."

"You hit your head on the table when you fell asleep last time." Alec explained.

"You got up when I walked in and fell right back. Your head wasn’t looking good. We called Magnus because we didn’t know how a head injury could interfere with your condition."

"Come on, it’s not a condition-"

"Stop denying it, Jace! It’s serious!"

"Don’t yell at me, Alec." He said, taking himself a moment before grinning, "I have a condition." he added very graciously.

"Oh for the love of- Jace, you’re gonna have to face that this isn’t working, it doesn’t matter how much I- we want it to."

He almost didn’t catch his last words, down to a private smooth stream.

Jace's heart kind of shut down.

"Not until I try one thing," he said.

"Wait, you have an idea?"

"Yeah, but." He squeezed Alec’s hand. "If that doesn’t work, we have to accept it. No more badgering the Head Warlock of Brooklyn with wounds that an eight year old could fix with an iratze, and I don’t want to hear you talking about any curses."

Alec didn’t object, but he took his hand in both of his.

"What is it?" Izzy asked, and Jace looked at her and then the door.

"Can you leave us? If it doesn’t work, it’s gonna get ugly."

Jace waved his hand to calm down the chorus.

"It’s nothing dangerous, I meant emotionally. If this doesn’t work, I’m gonna be heartbroken and I don’t want you to see it, okay?"

Alec sat on the couch when Izzy stood, and Magnus’ eyes softened when he smiled at him.

"Of course. And if I can give my very reputable, and expensive, input: even if Seelie magic is always true, it doesn’t mean Seelies are always right."

"Thanks." they both said, and Jace smiled to Izzy when she caressed his hair again.

Alec restrained himself until the door was shut behind them.

"Okay, what is it? Let’s do it."

Jace looked at him.

"Jace? It wasn’t a lie, was it? You didn’t send them away to make a speech about accepting your death, right? Because if you did-"

"Alec," he grinned, skimming Alec’s cheek with his thumb. "I’m not dying. I was just taking a breath."

"Okay."

"And are you always like this when you think I’m in danger?"

"Yes." Alec didn’t even deny, "Usually, I’m worse."

He laughed and sat up straight, pulling Alec a bit closer.

"I was thinking that if I can either be awake, or asleep, then maybe- I just never really woke up."

Alec got worried really quickly.

"Jace, this isn’t a dream."

"Yeah, Alec. I know. I just meant that I’m stuck in this half-asleep haze. And that maybe, the reason that I’m not awake, is actually really- stupid."

"Like what?"

Jace swallowed.

"That you haven’t kissed me hard enough."

Alec blinked. Adjusted himself uncomfortably over the couch. Then blinked some more.

"What?"

"I’m more awake since you kissed me at the demon’s den. And that was- enough of a kiss that I could tell it was one. Maybe it really is this simple."

Back at not looking at him, Alec turned his head. Despite his _condition_ , Jace conscience decided to grace him with enough observational skill to tell that Alec was hiding away.

He leaned in closer and Alec tensed.

"Hey. We don’t have to-"

"No, we do. It’s fine."

"I’m sorry, I just assumed it wouldn’t be a big deal."

Saying it out loud put things into perspective a little more. Even more did Alec stumbling over his words.

"It’s just- I spent my whole life thinking I’d never get to kiss you, and suddenly I’m doing it five times in a day. It’s- I don't want you to think-"

Alec liked his lips, and Jace didn't ignore the hunger, didn't let it die, didn't push it aside.

"Then kiss me like it, Alec. Like you thought you'd never get to."

When Alec looked at him, he looked hurt.

Jace let himself want, and Alec's hand wrapped around his arm.

"You’ve got your chance. Kiss me like you mean it."

"But I never wanted it like this."

"Alec," he called again, almost a plea, ignoring the way their heartbeat stumbled, "You’re the one who keeps pulling away."

Jace barely had time to smile before Alec’s hand was in its spot on his neck, and his lips were on his. Alec kissed him with the dedication he'd always put in everything he had done, mouth claiming Jace's, and Jace remembered why he had spent the better part of his life trying to deny himself he wanted this: it was overwhelming, to be loved so fiercely. It made him feel frail, like he could break at any tiny movement of Alec's hands. And yet, he was awake because of it. Alive, because of it.

He really, properly, woke up, when Alec tilted his head and pulled him closer by his nape, breathing Jace’s name against his lips.

He playfully bit down on Alec’s lip to celebrate.

  
  


.

  
  


"What is it that you did, exactly?" Clary asked over dinner.

Alec coughed. Jace smirked.

"We exchanged some opinions on the book of the month."

Clary rolled her eyes in pain, disgust and maybe a tinge of happiness.

"Told you." Izzy said dipping tortillas in some more salsa, "I know my Seelie magic."

"Can we talk about something else?" Alec plead, "He’s fine, it’s all that matters."

They all laughed at him, but they did try to be discreet. Jace even squeezed his thigh to apologize.

.

  
  


"So," Jace said after twenty four hours and twenty five seconds on the dots.

Alec looked up from his paperwork hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Am I going to have to plant some Lover Sleep in the greenhouse to get you to kiss me again, or what?" Jace asked with eager carelessness.

If he was to start to unravel years of conditioning and let himself be loved without compromise, he sure wasn't going to beg for it.

It was almost a pity how quickly Alec’s wide, bright smile morphed in a tentative smirk.

"What’s stopping you from kissing me?"

_Almost._

**Author's Note:**

> i'm fond of this for no reason. if you find you are too, please let me know ❤❤
> 
> (will i ever write something that's mostly emotional honest, with a touch of silliness for a change? oh, yes, i will.  
> and english still isn't my first language and my only beta was google drive smart spellcheck. uops.)


End file.
